Darrell Bevell: Minnesota Vikings' loss is Seahawks' gain

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson talks with head coach Pete Carroll, center, and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, left, before Wilson's final play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in overtime on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 27-24 on a field goal. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

When the Vikings removed "interim" from head coach Leslie Frazier's job description in January 2011, Frazier removed "offensive coordinator" from Darrell Bevell's. And Bevell decided to move on.

Bevell caught on as Seattle's coordinator and now is one of the NFL's hot head coaching candidates.

Frazier, meanwhile, is fighting for his job with the 2-7 Vikings as they enter Sunday's game against the 9-1 Seahawks at CenturyLink Field.

Earlier this year, Bevell interviewed for the top jobs in Arizona, Chicago and Jacksonville before the Seahawks reportedly signed him to a two-year contract extension. This way, the Seahawks hope, Bevell can remain in quarterback Russell Wilson's ear beyond this season.

"He's going to be a head coach," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said this week. "I'll be excited for him when he gets that opportunity. I'll do everything I can to help him get it. If that time ever comes, we'll really miss him because he's done a fantastic job for us."

Bevell, who ran Minnesota's offense for five seasons, scouted Wilson during the quarterback's one season at Wisconsin -- also Bevell's alma mater. The coordinator was integral in Seattle's decision to draft the 5-foot-11 quarterback in the third round (75th overall) in 2012, even though Wilson was not the prototypical size for the position.

Wilson figured to be a reserve, considering the Seahawks signed veteran Green Bay backup Matt Flynn to a three-year, $26 million contract that same offseason.

Advertisement

But Wilson beat out Flynn for the job in training camp and quickly developed into a multidimensional threat while helping elevate the Seahawks among the NFL's elite.

He is 16-2 since a Week 9 victory over the Vikings last year, and Wilson's 109.5 passer rating since then is second only to Denver's Peyton Manning (112.7).

"I definitely don't want him to go anywhere. I love him to death," Wilson said. "He's a guy that's so prepared all the time, very poised in situations. I care about Coach Bevell and his family, and at the same time I want the best for him whatever that leads to."

Bevell's poise and mild manner were evident during his tenure in Minnesota, traits similar to those of Frazier, the team's defensive coordinator much of that time. Could that work for or against him if he wants a head coaching job?

"I don't think you necessarily have to be stern to be a head coach," Wilson said. "Look at coach Carroll: He's a guy that's very relaxed, very poised and very into being positive and bringing that positive energy and that competitive nature. I think coach Bevell's very, very similar in that fashion. You think about Tony Dungy in that fashion, as well. He's a great coach."

Bevell was Brett Favre's quarterback coach for three seasons in Green Bay before joining Brad Childress' staff in Minnesota. Favre signed with the Vikings in 2009 and reunited with Bevell.

With wide receivers Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin shredding secondaries, Bevell helped Favre orchestrate his most productive season as a pro, leading the Vikings to the NFC championship game.

He also found time to attend a Taylor Swift concert with Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, who acknowledged the random event was a tad awkward.

"I liked her music, but I had never been to her concert," Allen said. "I was assuming it was going to be a normal concert. It was like a tween concert. My wife and I were like, 'Do you think we need to leave?' There was like spirit fingers and choreographed dances. I was in the wrong place."

Bevell and Favre could not recapture the magic in 2010. Rice was lost for the season with a hip injury, and the aging Favre struggled to stay healthy. Childress was fired midway through a tumultuous 6-10 season, and Frazier later decided to hire Bill Musgrave to run the offense.

Unavailable for a phone interview, Bevell did address questions emailed to the Seahawks public relations department about his time with the Vikings, although not about seeking head-coaching jobs.

"When I was in Minnesota, it was my first opportunity to be a coordinator, so you kind of learn on the fly," Bevell wrote. "I was learning the job, first of all. Then I was learning our people, our personnel, then kind of how to use it. And I think that started to get me where I am today.

"I think I do a much better job of using our people and probably being little more flexible in what we do and what we don't let certain players do. So I've come a long way in that regard."

The Seahawks' offense improved from 28th in Bevell's first season to ninth in 2012, when Seattle earned a wild-card playoff berth. The Seahawks rank 11th in total offense through 10 games and boast the second-best rushing attack behind power running back Marshawn Lynch.

Bevell, 43, was fortunate to work with a creative and confident quarterback in Favre before molding Wilson, whose IQ he described as "off the charts in terms of football."

"The similarities could be with Brett in terms of the things he sees. He sees the field really well," Bevell wrote. "And he knows what he's looking at. Things happen so fast, and then he'll tell you what he saw, and then you'll go back and look and that's exactly what happened. There's just good dialogue and good communication."